The Norwegian under-21 midfielder put his pen to a five year contract on Saturday before watching his new team mates beat First Division West Bromwich 4-2.

Normann, spotted by Euro scout Ray Clarke, impressed manager Gordon Strachan during the pre-season tour of Germany when he spent a week on trial.

Normann is match fit and could well be on the bench for the visit of Southampton on Saturday.

City clearly feel they have got themselves a bargain - the eventual transfer fee could rise to a £1 million - and chairman Bryan Richardson described the Lillestrom youngster as the finest young midfielder in Scandinavia.

Strachan has still to make up his mind where the youngster will fit into his team but clearly feels his potential was too good to ignore.

"I don't really know where we will play him. He is left sided and we have a couple of left sided players at the club but we felt he had too much not to sign. I wouldn't have liked the thought of him going somewhere else.

"When we trained with us for the first time in Germany we thought he was a lad who really wants to be a footballer and that aspect of it was important."

And Strachan was cheered by news today that Gary McAllister should be fit to face the Saints despite limping off against Albion. The veteran scored the first goal but then had to leave the field mid-way through the first half.

He said:

"It is not too painful now. I actually took a knock when I was fouled just before our first goal but it is a dead-leg rather than anything else and I should be fine."

Steve Froggatt and sub Trond Soltvedt (2) grabbed the other goals in the game which saw Mustapha Hadji and Youssef Chippo make their debuts.
  

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